Easter trees are generally simple affairs of branches painted white or pastel, or they can be a bunch of blossom fresh from the garden if the blossom is already out where you live. To make them truly festive, adding a special touch to them by way of edible Easter decorations works well.

Ingredients

Steps

1

Decide which designs you'll use. This will likely depend on what cookie cutters you have available but you can also cut around cardboard templates, although this is more painstaking. Typical designs would include eggs, bunnies, chicks and lambs.

Roll out the cookie dough. Make sure it is an even thickness. Use flour on the board to help prevent the dough sticking.

3

Use the cookie cutters to cut out the chosen shapes.

4

Use the skewer to pierce holes at the top of each cookie shape.

5

Place in the oven and bake as long as the recipe requires. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack. Use the skewer to fix any holes that have closed up during the baking.

6

If coloring the sugar paste, do so now. To color sugar paste, place the desired amount into a small plastic bag and add the coloring to the bag.

7

Roll out the sugar paste to a slight, even width. Use the same cutters that you have used to make the cookies. Cut out as many shapes as you have cookies needing decorating.

8

Dab or pipe a little royal icing onto the cookie surface. Press the sugar paste shape onto the cookie. Repeat for each cookie. Remember to pierce the hole through the sugar paste as well.

9

To add more decorative effects, consider piping royal icing in a color different from the one you've added to each cookie. Add small dots, stars, lines, etc. to give the cookies facial features or patterns.

10

Allow the cookies to set overnight.

11

Prepare the cookies for hanging. Cut lengths of ribbon that are about 25cm/10". Thread the ribbon through the hole in the cookie and tie onto the Easter tree. Repeat for each cookie.